Wire-stretcher.



No. 767,587. PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

G. H. MIELKE.

N0 MODEL.

IN VEIV T OR:

A TTORINEY.

UNITED STATES Patented August 16, 1904.

GEORGE H. MIELKE, OF DUNDAS, MINNESOTA.

WlRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,587, dated August 16, 1904.

Application filed January 5, 1904. Serial No. 187,808. (N model.)

To ztZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. MIELKE, of Dundas, in the county of Rice and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple form of stretcher, which is particularly suitable for'erecting woven-wire fences and which will stretch and automatically retain the wire in position until it is fastened, and for these purposes requires but a single operator and a simple reciprocating motion.

Asimple form of my invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings,in which similar figures of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a top view ofmy complete stretcher in its operating position. Fig. 2 is a front view with the clamp and pulling-rods omitted. Fig. 8 is a front view of the clamp by which the stretcher is attached to the fence. Fig. 4 is a side view of the said clamp. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the said clamp, taken along the line 5 5 of'Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective View of one of the pulling-links.

In Fig. 1, 10 represents part of a chain, by

the sides of the frame, as illustrated in Fig.

2. At is secured a block of wood or'other suitable material, which serves, to separate the sides of the frame 13 and 13 At equal distances on either side of the pin 12 are located the pulling-links 16, one of which is shown in enlarged perspective in Fig. 6, and as both are in all respects similar only one will be described for the sake of simplicity. The frame of the link consists of three parts 17, 18, and 19, of which 17 and 18 form the side pieces and are provided with holes 20 and 20 at their inner ends, through which pass the pins 21, which form pivotal attachments with the frame 13. The part 19 is .inserted between 17 and 18 and retained in position in any suitable manner, as by the rivets however, prevented from moving backward by coming in contact with the arm 23. The perforation 26, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, is conical in shape and has an edge 27 on the inner side of the said lug 24. The pulling-rods 28, which are provided with rings 29 at their outer ends, by which they are connected with the clamp 30 through the link 31 and the clip 32,surrounding the said clamp 30,pass through the said perforations 26, which are of slightlygreater diameter than the said pulling-rods 28, and between the sides of the frame 13 and 13'. It will be readily apparent that if the handle 14 be reciprocated one of the pullinglinks 16 will be moved inwardly or to the right, as shown inFig. 1, and the corresponding rod 28 will slide through the said perforation 26; but if the said pulling-link be moved outwardly or to the left, as shown in Fig. 1, the said pulling-links alternately moving inwardly and outwardly as the handle 14 is reciprocated, the lug 24 will turn and cause the rod to bind in the perforation 26, this effect being increased by the edge 27 of the said perforation 26, which I find is particularly well adapted to the purpose, though I do not limit myself to this or to any particular shape for the said perforation. In consequence it will be evident that if the handle 14 be reciprocated the said pulling-links 16 will alternately engage the said rods 28, one link sliding along its rod, while the other rod remains in engagement withits respective link, each of the said perforated lugs operating as a sort of friction-clutch in conjunction with its respective rod, and in this manner the clamp 30 will be drawn toward the said pulling-links 16 or to the left, as shown in Fig. 1. If the handle 1 L be released, both of the links 16 will engage the rods 28, thus retaining the clamp 30 in position until the wire held by the said clamp is properly fastened in the manner desired. Should it be necessary to relax the tension on the wire, the links 16 may alternately be released by moving them forward along the pulling-rods 28 until the lugs 24 release themselves and then holding the said lugs back against the arms 23, thus allowing the rods 28 to be slipped through the said perforations 26. It will thus be seen that the wire may be readily adjusted to any degree of tension by a simple reciprocating movement of the handle 14 and retained until fastened,

- as is desired, and the operator has his hands free at all times except when actually stretching the wire, thus enabling him to fasten the wire himself and dispensing with the aid of another man to do the fastening while he retains the wire in its stretched position, as is necessary in the various wire and fence stretchers generally in use.

30 is the clamp for attaching the stretcher to the wire fencing, and consists of two side pieces 33 and 34, into one of which, 33, are inserted the bolts 35, having L-shaped heads 36, which pass through suitable holes 38 in the other side piece, 34:, as shown in Fig. 5. Beneath the said L-shaped heads are inserted the wedges 37 after the wire has been placed between the said side pieces 33 and 34, and the'said wedges are then driven down, thus retaining the wire securely between the said side pieces 33 and 34, after which the clip 32 is secured in position by means of the bolt 4:0.

It will thus be seen that I have devised a wire-stretcher which may readily and expeditiously be attached to a length of wire fencing and requires but a single operator to stretch and secure the fencing to the necessary posts; but I desire it to be expressly unily adapted to the stretching of telegraph and electric-light wires and cables and to other similar uses by means which would readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a wire-stretcher, the combination of a clamp, rods connected thereto, clutches having beveled adhering edges for engaging the said rods, and a frame actuating the said clutches.

2. A wire-stretcher comprising a frame, a pair of clutches pivoted directly to the frame and extending from the same side thereof, means located between the clutches for connecting the frame to a resisting body, round rods engaged by the clutches, and a wire-engaging clamp such rods engaging the clamp and passing through the clutches and the frame.

3. The combination of a tractive device with a clamp having perforated side pieces for engaging a strip of wire fencing, a plurality of connectors passing through the said perforations, each connector having one end screwthreaded and carrying a nut and the other end L-shaped, and wedges adapted to bear against the under side of the said L-shaped en s.

4. The combination of atractive device with a clamp having side pieces, a plurality of connectors for drawing the said side pieces together, wedges cooperating with the said connectors, and a removable clip surrounding the said side pieces.

5. In a wire-stretcher, the combination of a clamp for engaging the wire, rods flexibly connected thereto, clutches having beveled adhering edges for engaging the said rods, links hinged to the said clutches, and a frame connected to the said links for actuating the said clutches.

GEORGE H. MIELKE. Witnesses:

J. W. RICHARDSON, THos. H. QUINN. 

